Task Analysis *development notes

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The information contained on this page is designed to develop and clarify our task analysis. A draft of the task analysis has been started, you will find it near the end of this page. Brainstorming specific facts, concepts, and skills to be taught in Unit 2, Canadian Food, Culture, and Recreation, may be helpful prior to developing the instructional strategies; we need to answer: What do we want students to learn about Canadian food, culture, and recreation? What do we expect students to be able to do with this information once they've learned it (applied knowledge and application of skills)? How does this relate to the more general course objectives (create community; establish belonging; learn about culture; and practice English speaking, reading and writing skills)?


Text Questions to Guide Task Analysis:
  1. What skills and information are necessary to address the identified needs?
  2. what knowledge does the expert have that is essential for the task?
  3. What related subject content should be taught?
  4. how can the subject content items be organized?
  5. how is a task analyzed to identify its components and then to sequence the actions required?
  6. To what other elements of the instructional design process is task analysis most closely related?

Analyses to consider:
  1. Topic Analysis:well suited for cognitive knowledge
    • defines facts, concepts, principles, and rules that make up final instructions; typically done in layers (objective+ indicators of content structure (facts, concepts, principles)
    • thus, identifies the content that is the focus of instruction AND identifies the structure of the components
    • focuses on cognitive or unobservable tasks
  2. Procedural Analysis: for use with psychomotor tasks, job tasks, or cognitive sequencing
    • used to analyze tasks by identifying steps required to complete them; breaks tasks into steps required for learning
    • focuses on both observable and unobservable behaviours
  3. or, Critical Incident Method: useful for analyzing interpersonal skills
    • suitable for analyzing processes related to interpersonal skills
    • based on 3 types of information (see steps to follow below)

Steps to Follow: Analyzing a Topic
  1. identify a SME who can provided the required information (Kim is the SME representing SIDES)
    • identified needs/goals define the project and provide the ID with focus

  2. examine how identified potential goals are broken down into greater detail
    • define the instructional problem & develop an outline for the content
      i. identify content structures
      ii. identify categories
      iii. define categories

see "Nails" example pp. 82-83
see Appendix A example pp. 455-56

  1. Task Analysis : identify content structures (facts, concepts, principles and rules, procedures, interpersonal skills, and/or attitudes) and select appropriate analysis tool (topic analysis, procedural analysis, and/or critical incident analysis)

  2. note "conceptual" and "procedural" learning tasks

  3. consider information that is "nice-to-know" content and "critical" content

  4. consider which instructional goals should be eliminated or re-ordered

Steps to Follow: Procedural Analysis
  1. ASK:
    • What does the learner do? Identify actions involved in each step (physical & mental) STEPS
    • What does the learner need to know to do this step? (what knowledge, context, orientation) KNOWLEDGE
    • What cues (tactile, smell, visual, etc) inform the learner that there is a problem, the step is done, or a different step is needed? CUES
  2. organize the acquired information in a logical fashion
    • can be expressed using outlines, tables, flowcharts, etc.

Checklist for Conducting Procedural Analysis:
  1. Are relevant cues and feedback identified for each step?
  2. Does the analysis identify the generally acceptable procedure rather than personal preferences?
  3. Are the decision steps identified?
  4. Are the steps accurately defined?
  5. are critical steps that could result in injury, damage, or loss identified?

Steps to Follow: Critical Incident Method (Analysis)
  1. ASK: What were the conditions before, during, and after the incident?
    • Where and when did it occur? Who was involved? What equipment was used and what was its condition?

  2. ASK: What did you do?
    • Physical actions? What did you say and to whom? What were you thinking?

  3. ASK: How did this incident help or prevent you from reaching your goal?

DRAFT: copy and pasted from Assignment 2 Planning

Welcome to Canada Course Objectives
create community
establish belonging
learn about culture, climate
practice English speaking, reading and writing skills

Welcome to Canada Units of Study
  • First week in Canada (Homestays, meeting at the airport)
  • Canadian food, culture and recreation
  • Getting around - buses, ferries, transit information
  • Canadian Money (Banking Information, Taxes and Tipping)
  • Phoning, Cell Phones
  • Symbols in Canada

Unit 2: Canadian food, culture and recreation - Learning Objectives

Next Steps: Developing Objectives & Sequencing